


Tigers Changing Stripes

by psychotraumatic



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - School, Flash Fic, Implied Bullying, M/M, Short One Shot, jock!woozi, nerd!soonyoung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27710264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotraumatic/pseuds/psychotraumatic
Summary: A tiger can't change its stripes, no matter how hard Soonyoung tries.Jihoon wouldn't have him any other way.Written forSnapshots' November 2020 Birthday Challenge
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 55
Collections: November 2020 Birthday Challenge





	Tigers Changing Stripes

The stares and whispers have become a constant occurrence ever since the first time they were seen together. The people in his inner circle refer to them as an age-old cliché. The others call it unfair. Either way, he just shrugs it off.

He’s always been one to believe that a relationship is only between the two people who share it. Screw everyone else. Why should it matter to anyone else who he decides to date? Who has the authority to dictate the type of person he chooses to give his heart to? Why would anyone care that the captain of the baseball team is dating the school nerd? If no one understands why or how they’re dating, it shouldn’t be his problem. They’re not the ones in the relationship.

But when the stares and whispers start to trigger a change, that’s when Jihoon draws a line.

It took him a while to notice, but once he did, all the signs from months back suddenly got clearer.

_Did you dress up in the dark? He must be so embarrassed being seen with the likes of you._

Soonyoung borrowed a shirt from him once. Jihoon thought it was cute when he wore it, like a subtle hint of who he was with for anyone who cared to notice. It progresses to matching clothes, with Jihoon’s favorite brands somehow starting to fill Soonyoung’s closet. When it wasn’t couple clothing, it was muted material — blacks, whites, and grays that were a far cry from the neon pinks and oranges that matched Soonyoung’s personality more. It was loud and refreshing, much like everything Soonyoung used to be.

_God! Can you be any louder? I don’t know how he tolerates you with all the noise you make._

It continues with silence. Soonyoung had always been a talkative one, and Jihoon was more than happy to listen. He’s always amazed how one person can talk so much and still have so much more in his head. Some people think it’s noise. Jihoon likens it to music. That even if he’s not paying all of his attention to the words, that even if it's mostly nonsense, the sound itself brings him comfort.

Jihoon doesn’t like the quiet.

“I annoy you a lot, don’t I?”

The question pulls Jihoon away from his thoughts, eyes blinking fast in confusion. “What?”

Soonyoung shrugs, shoulders curling into themselves as if to make himself smaller. “I know I’m loud and talkative, and I’m probably embarrassing you by bringing too much attention to you when you prefer to be left alone.”

“Who told you that?” Jihoon interjects.

Soonyoung dodges the question, prattling on about his shortcomings and promising to be better instead.

Jihoon sighs deeply. He realizes that just because he doesn’t give a damn what everyone else says, it doesn’t mean Soonyoung was capable of the same. He’s not usually one to talk about his feelings, but Jihoon’s more than willing to pour his heart out if he means he’ll get his Soonyoung back.

“A tiger can’t change its stripes.”

Jihoon fought against a smirk when he noticed Soonyoung perk up at his choice of words.

“You’ve always been loud and obnoxious,” he continues, not minding how the other deflates before him. “But I prefer all the noise that comes with you instead of a heavy silence that can drown out all my screams.”

“What?”

“Stop listening to what everyone says,” Jihoon says. “Look at only me.”

“I don’t understa—”

“If I had to date someone exactly like me, I’d rather just stay single for the rest of my life,” Jihoon grumbles. “I like you Kwon Soonyoung, and I chose you. Nothing else should matter after that.”

“Really?” Soonyoung squeaks.

“No, not really,” Jihoon deadpans.

“Oh.”

“I’m pretty sure I love you.”

When Soonyoung shows up to school the next day wearing his favorite neon pink and yellow jacket, bright-eyed with a wide grin as he saunters up to his boyfriend, Jihoon smiles back and welcomes him into a hug.

“Good to have you back.”


End file.
